On this week-long Study Tour, our classroom moves to the Spanish region of Catalunya. We dig into the urban sustainable food vibe of Barcelona and travel into the more peri-urban areas where food and wine production have thrived in this warm climate. We see the theories of the course come to life as we follow sustainable thinkers, chefs, farmers, agronomists, artists, and entrepreneurs in search of the ethic taste for food. We study humans’ relationship with food and consumers’ understanding of the footprint of food production and their idea of the food waste we leave behind us.
The Mediterranean diet is known for being healthy, with regional products and a proud food culture. Little is said about the huge export of vegetables, and what the last 50 years of meat production and agriculture have done to the soil, ecosystems, and sea life. Our adventure starts in the busy food Mecca of Barcelona. Here we will visit traditional food markets and new sustainable and biodynamic vegetable sellers. We will hear how the municipality of Barcelona takes care of the food waste of its inhabitants, and visit local restaurants.
Tour Objectives
- Learn about different challenges with food waste in Northern and Southern Europe
- Improve understanding of the different cultural challenges with improving sustainable agriculture and consumption
- Explore how good food is produced not in a haste with only profit in mind but with patience and passion
Possible Activities
- Regeneration the soil in a Catalan field and visiting a natural wine vineyard
- Biowaste sorting in Barcelona, and visiting sustainable restaurants and communities
- Learning about livestock farming and the fishing industry of Barcelona